Trying to Solve the Mystery that is Harry Potter
by Lolly O'Neill
Summary: Now complete! Ron's POV. Harry is acting very strangely, and it's up to Ron, Hermione and Ginny to figure out the Mystery of Harry Potter. Post OOTP. No ships are sailing in this one! Sorry!
1. Chapter One

Author's Notes: Hello again! I realize that I should probably be typing up the next chapter for "The Hero-Complex", but math class is just so BORING!! I wrote this little fic during math, history, career studies and religion because I had nothing better to do. I mean, who really wants to do school work, besides Hermione? Anyway, I hope that it's OK, and I apologize now if it's not. It does get quite hard to write with constant reprimands of "Miss O'Neill! Will you pay ATTENTION?!"

Disclaimer: I own nothing that relates to Harry Potter because it all belongs to the wonderful and genius writer, J.K. Rowling. I am making no profit from this story. Honestly! Do I look like the rich one to you? 

* turns out pockets and empties out lint * 

Trying to Solve the Mystery that is Harry Potter

Chapter One

Harry hasn't exactly been acting like himself lately, and I can't say that I blame him. He's been with his horrible relatives for almost two months, and had only joined us at Grimmauld Place for the last two weeks of summer vacation. I don't know why Dumbledore made him stay with them for so long, and if Harry knows the reason, he's not talking. Actually, he's not really talking to anybody. He kind of sits alone a lot, with a blank look on his face. Fred and George even set off a couple of their firecrackers right behind him - just to see if they'd get a reaction - and he didn't even flinch. Or blink. Or move. Or anything. It's like someone had sucked the soul out of him, and he's a walking, breathing shell of a person. It's quite sad really.

After Harry had gone to bed (which was very early, seven thirty), Hermione, Ginny and I had a little meeting in the drawing room, regarding Harry. We all figured that his behaviour had something to do with Sirius, and having to be in Sirius' old house. Hermione thought that there had to be something else that would make him go into such a catatonic state. I don't know if I agree, but Ginny sure did. We devised a plan to go looking through his stuff to see if there was anything that could help us figure out what was really wrong with him, and if we could help him.

The next day when Harry wasn't in the bedroom (a miracle in itself), Ginny sneaked a peek into his school trunk while Hermione kept watch at the door and I at the stairs. When she was done, we went back to the drawing room where she told us what she had found. She said that she found a knife hilt and some broken pieces of mirror at the bottom of the trunk, some letters, a picture album, and what looked like some sort of journal or diary.

We knew that the knife hilt was from that knife that Sirius had given Harry in fourth year for Christmas that had been melted at the Department of Mysteries. We didn't have any idea what the mirror bits were about, though.

Ginny said that she looked at the photo album and it was all pictures of his parents and Sirius. There was even a picture with all four of them - Harry's parents, Sirius and a baby Harry - that had been marked off by a bookmark.

It was the letters and the diary that gave us the most concern, however. The letters were mostly letters written by Sirius to him, but it was the current letters at the top of the stack that worried us. They were mostly from Dumbledore and Professor Lupin. Lupin's letters were all funn of sympathetic fluff and some light-heartedness, obviously meaning to cheer him up. Dumbledore's letters had some mild sympathy, but they were also letters asking him if he wanted to go back to Grimmauld Place yet. The mystery of why Harry had come so late to Head-Quarters was atleast solved: he hadn't wanted to come. The last letter, Ginny explained, was a letter saying that the guard was going to pick him up, whether he like it or not. That also explained why he ignored everyone when he first stepped into the house, and went straight upstairs to his room and closed the door behind him.

Ginny also said that, while she was tempted, she couldn't read his journal, saying that it was very private and was something of a "friendship felony", as she put it. We were no closer to cracking the mystery of Harry Potter.

Author's Notes: What do you think? Short? Yeah I know. Please review anyway, though!!


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, seeing as it all belongs to JK Rowling. I am making no profit from this story.

Trying to Solve the Mystery that is Harry Potter

Chapter Two

While my sister and Hermione were off doing "girly things", whatever that meant, I had decided to go exploring the house. Harry had gone missing again - not that he'd be any fun to hang around right now, anyway - so I had to go explore by myself. There's a lot of rooms in this old house that I had never been in, and after I looked at a few, I decided that I never wanted to go in some of them again.

After I had looked on all three floors (excluding the attic), I decided to go explore the basement. The basement was very similar to the dungeons at Hogwarts: smelly, slightly slippery and very cold. There was a long hallway stretching to either side of the door that I had come through to get down here. I decided to go left first. As I started down the hall, I heard it. It was a weird grunting and thudding noise coming from the opposite direction. Curiosity getting the better of me, I turned around and started off toward the noise, trying to make my feet fall quietly on the stone floor. It became louder and louder until I finally reached the door to where the noise seemed to be originating from. I peered in cautiously and was shocked to see that it was Harry punching a muggle punching bag furiously. He was sweat soaked and so absorbed in what he was doing, he didn't notice that I was there - all the better for me. After I got over the initial shock of seeing Harry actually _moving_, something that I rarely saw him do since he arrived here, I started to realize that he was muttering something in between punches and grunts.

"For my Dad…" Punch, punch, thud.

"For my Mum…" Punch, thud, punch.

"Cedric…" Punch, punch, punch.

"Sirius…" Thud, thud, punch, punch.

"Screwing up my life…" Thud, thud, kick, punch, thud.

He suddenly did an impressive and powerful-looking round-house kick and said very loudly and clearly, "That accursed PROPHESY!" 

All of a sudden he stopped his assault on the bag and dropped to his knees, hands holding onto the punching bag, and resting his forehead against the material of it. He looked utterly defeated and weak. That's when I heard sobbing, and I realized that it was him. He was repeating the word "why?" over and over under his breath. He apparently still had not noticed my presence. I took the opportunity to slip away upstairs to find Hermione and Ginny.

Once I had found them, we met in the drawing room and I told them what I had seen. Ginny covered her mouth and her eyes grew wide; Hermione looked as if she was about to cry.

***

After dinner, we all just sat at the table, listening to the adults talk. Harry had actually joined us for the meal (a miracle) and had actually eaten (another miracle). He even said (although it was in a dead, hollow sort of voice) 'thank you' to Mum when she had set his plate in front of him. Mum looked tearful and quickly turned back to the stove.

Once we were finally allowed to leave the table, I asked Harry if he wanted to join Hermione, Ginny and I in a game of exploding snap. He gave me a quiet "no thanks". I was actually starting to become a little frustrated with him. But before I could say anything, Professor Lupin beat me to it. I don't think I've ever heard him yell and I don't think I've ever seen him angry. I don't want to ever again, either.

"Oh for Merlin sake, Harry!" he said, very loudly, making the rest of the room go quiet, and for Harry to stare at him. "You're not the only one who misses him, so stop acting all sullen and misunderstood! We all know how you feel! Especially me! I feel the same way too! He was one of my best friends!"

Harry stared at him for a moment before answering, in a voice that sounded as if he was forcing himself to remain calm, "I know that you miss him, Remus, but what I don't think you know is what it feels like to never have a father. Sirius dying, and the fact that it was practically my fault, was like having my father killed all over again. And my real dad died because of me, too. Besides, the fact that the closest person I ever had to a parent is now dead, is only half my problem. And I'm pretty sure no one in this room can sympathize with me on the other half. Now, if you'll excuse me…" And he left towards the stairs to the bedrooms, most likely to go to sleep.

"That's the most I've ever heard him speak since he came here." Said Dad, breaking the silence of the room. Everyone present nodded in agreement. Hermione, Ginny and I left quietly to go to the drawing room.

Now we knew that it was not just Sirius that was on his mind. We resolved to commit one of the worst "friendship felonies". We were going to read his journal. And if that didn't work and we were at all dead ends, we were going to have to ask him. I hope it doesn't come to that.

*~*~*~*

Authors Notes: Ok, ok, I know. Short again. However, I regret to inform anyone who is actually reading this, that it is a 'ficlet', meaning that it is very short. Which it is. Like very short. Like three chapters. Please review anyway, though! Thanks.

Review thanks: 

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Jeannie Vidal-Smith: Thanks for reviewing! Don't you just hate it when computers are evil? Mine is all the time! It's bloody annoying! Thanks again!

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Da ickle reader: Don't worry, its not one of those 'Harry starts cutting himself' stories, that's way too cliché! I totally agree that there's too many romance stories out there. And I'm glad that I found someone who doesn't approve of 'inter-trio' dating, also. I don't like Ginny/Harry fics either, though. I think it's nasty that Harry would date his best mate's little sister, who is therefore like his little sister, too. That would be like dating your cousin or sibling (ew!). However, that is just my opinion.


	3. Chapter Three

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Author's Notes: Umm… whoops? I sorta forgot about this story until someone reviewed it, and I realized that I should probably put up the last chapter. So here you are, chapter three. The final chapter. Yeah, really short story, I know. But that's why it's called a "ficlet" or a "short story".

Thanks to all who reviewed! You guys rock!!!

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is Harry Potter related. Believe me, I wish I did. But I don't. Do I honestly look rich to you? * Turns out lint from pockets * Yeah, didn't think so.

Trying to Solve the Mystery that is Harry Potter

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Chapter Three

The next day, while Harry was presumably in the basement, punching the stuffing out of his bag, we sneaked back into his trunk to read his journal. Well, technically Ginny read it while Hermione and I kept watch at the door.

Ginny came out of Harry's bedroom, twenty minutes later, tears in her eyes, and choking out a "follow me" as she led the way to the drawing room.

Once Hermione had shut the doors, Ginny began to tell us about what she had read. The journal was something that he had kept since before Hogwarts, before we knew him, but had added to it at least twice a year since his first year. She also said that the saddest part was his entries before Hogwarts. Since he never really talked about it, we had never known what his childhood had been like. And from what Ginny said, it hadn't been a good one.

"It sounded almost as if he was afraid of his Aunt and Uncle." She said in a strained voice. "And what was really weird, is that it sounded as if he lived the first ten years of his life in the cupboard under the stairs. There was one entry, when he was about seven, saying that he somehow managed to turn his teacher's hair blue, and his Uncle got really mad at him and locked him in his cupboard and wouldn't let him have dinner for a week."

Ginny then went on to explain that while his Hogwarts entries were not as sad, they were quite upsetting. The re-occurring theme in his first through fourth years were all about how he wished he weren't famous for something he couldn't remember and for such a morbid reason. His most recent entries - the summer before fifth, during fifth and after fifth year - didn't have a sad feel to it; rather it was depressed and angry. She said that his last entry, dated yesterday, was all about how Professor Lupin has no idea what he was talking about because he didn't know what it felt like to grow up with no parents and now no substitute for a parental figure. He then went on to talk about Hermione, Ginny and me and how lucky we were to have parents and to not have to be the ones to "save the world because of some prophecy". Hermione said that it sounded as if he knew what the prophecy that smashed in the Department of Mysteries held. I agreed. Determined to try and find out more, we resolved to try and get him to talk.

***

Our plan proved to be harder than we first thought. First, there was the issue of finding him. Next, there was the issue of getting him to stay in the same room as us. We found him in the basement, knocking the stuffing (literally) out of the punching bag. I walked in first with Ginny and Hermione behind me. He didn't seem to notice us. I looked back at the girls and they had a look of mingled fear and awe on their faces. I looked back at Harry and coughed slightly to get his attention. He stopped mid-punch and turned around.

"So, you found me," He said harshly, glaring at us. "What do you want?"

At first, I was slightly taken aback from his tone and attitude. Then I began to see red.

"We want to know what the hell is wrong with you!" I said. Hermione said "Ron…" in a warning voice, but I ignored it.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked incredulously. "What, you mean besides _everything? _Besides, it's my problem, not yours." 

"That's where you're wrong. It is our problem. It affects everyone in this house!" I said angrily. "We can help, you know. That's what friends do!"

"That's where you're wrong! No one can help me with this! I have to do this on my own!" he practically yelled. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, he pushed me. 

I pushed him back.

He pushed me harder and I lost my balance. I regained that balance and punched him in the jaw.

Instead of looking mad and furious and punching me back, as I expected him to, he looked stunned and surprised that I actually hit him. He sat down hard on the mat below the punching bag, moved his jaw back and forth with his hand and held his forehead where his scar is. Ginny closed the door to the room and Hermione and I sat beside Harry, who looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

After a moment of silence, I apologized for punching him in the face, but he stopped me, and said in a strained voice,

"No, I deserved it. I've been acting like a real git, and I'm really for the way I was acting."

There was another moment of silence where Hermione and I shared a look. As I turned to share a look with Ginny, telling her with my eyes that it was her turn to talk, I saw her turn to look towards Hermione with soft eyes. As I turned to see what she was looking at, I saw Hermione was hugging Harry who appeared to be sobbing into her shoulder. I didn't know what to do! Girls turning on the waterworks is bad enough, but my best mate? The bravest and toughest person that I know? He was muttering something that I couldn't quite make out and I gave Hermione what I hoped was a quizzical look. She obviously understood me because she mouthed the words "He's apologizing to Sirius."

About ten minutes later, Harry raised his head and said in an angry voice, "I can't take it anymore! It's driving me insane! I have to tell someone!" He was babbling and not making much sense. He seemed to realize this, however, and stopped to start again. He started telling us about the parts at the Department of Mysteries that we didn't see, and how he used the Cruciatus curse on Bellatrix and how Voldemort had possessed him. Then he told us about how he had trashed Dumbledore's office and then how Dumbledore had told him what the now smashed prophesy said (although Harry didn't tell us - we didn't want to press him). Then he told us how he spent his whole summer cooped up in his room at the Dursley's, hardly eating, only Hedwig for company, and blaming himself for Sirius' death. Now I don't blame him for being such a git. If I was cooped up in my room, not eating, with only my owl for company, blaming myself for my god-father's death, I would go crazy, too. The last thing that he told us, however, really stuck in my mind. He said, "I know that you lot probably want to know how I feel, so you can sympathize with me. But I NEVER want you to know how I feel. I wouldn't wish this feeling of being trapped inside your own head and body on my worst enemy - well, maybe Voldemort, Snape or Malfoy, but that's not the point."

We may never be able to solve the mystery that is Harry Potter, but now, I think we are at least headed that way. At least Harry has started acting more like himself again, which is also a start.

-FIN- 

Thanks for reading! Please review! And check out my other stories too, _The Hero-Complex and Moving On_!!


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